Apple's new TV app for Apple TV and iOS puts all your content in one place

Apple is holding its Hello Again hardware event in San Francisco, CA, where it has just unveiled a new Apple TV app.

Called TV app, naturally, the app is basically a way for Apple TV to offer universal search. CEO Tim Cook, while on stage, said Apple wants Apple TV to be "the one place to access all of your television... a unified TV experience". He then announced the TV app, and said it will "completely change how you watch TV on your Apple TV as well as your iPhone and iPad".

The new TV app brings all the TV shows and movies from across all your apps to one place. In an on-stage demo, Apple showed how the app surfaces content from all your apps, and then when you select a movie or show, it kicks you into that app. When you press menu, you end up back in the individual app's UI, but you can back to the TV app by pressing the TV button on the remote.

Also, when you install a new app on your Apple TV, the TV app will instantly sign you in with your cable single-sign on, and it'll load "Watch Now" with content. Watch Now is where you will see a collection of available shows and movies from iTunes and apps. The TV app can also access your collection of iTunes movies an shows rented or purchased on iTunes. The TV app, which releases later this year, works on iPhone and iPad too.

As for that single sign on feature, it's a simplified way for Americans to enjoy their pay-TV video apps. Starting in December, subscribers to DirecTV, Dish Network, and more will just sign in once on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad to enjoy immediate access to apps that are part of their pay-TV subscription. Apple said Siri will also know all sports schedules and which games can be watched live.

In other words, Siri is now aware of live sporting events across apps, so you can simply say things like, “Watch the Stanford game”, and then it'll surface that exact live game for you to immediately watch.

Apple

Apple kicked off its event on 27 October with a keynote at 10 am PST. To watch the live stream for yourself or read about what was officially announced, see Pocket-lint's guide. The tagline to Apple's event, "hello again," is an obvious nod to the Mac, as Apple originally introduced the product with the word "hello" in 1984. Several reports therefore claimed Apple will likely introduce new Macs.